WTD: Cartridge, Low Hours, preferably MC

[Elephantears]

My Miyajima is in need of some adjustment or retipping, but it looks like I'm going to have to wait some time. So I need an in-betweener cartridge.

It really needs to be low hours and a good tracker. A microline stylus would be nice.

I'm really looking for an interim cartridge, but I'm a little undecided about strategy. I've 3 options:

1) I could get a cheap MM with an ML stylus for little over £100 (in which case I'll just buy a new AT-VM95ML)

2) Or I'm looking for a decent MC up to around £300 or so.

3) On the other hand, if something exceptional came up, with low hours, I could spend more, thinking long-term.

Let me know what you've got by PM please.

[phonomac]

Hello Andrew,
Your in box is full.

[high.spirits]

Hi Andrew. I recently purchased a AT-VM95ML and am very impressed by its capabilities. It's a bargain at the price.
I was toying with the idea of going MC but this cartridge is giving me all i want at the moment.

[gerlando]

Hi Andrew. I recently purchased a AT-VM95ML and am very impressed by its capabilities. It's a bargain at the price.
I was toying with the idea of going MC but this cartridge is giving me all i want at the moment.

Agree, it's a cracking cartridge. The VM540ML is a bit more open if you like.

Hard to do better without spending at least triple.

[Elephantears]

Hi Andrew. I recently purchased a AT-VM95ML and am very impressed by its capabilities. It's a bargain at the price.
I was toying with the idea of going MC but this cartridge is giving me all i want at the moment.

Yes, I would get one without hesitation; it seems an ideal in-betweener. What stops me is that my primary phono stage is MC only, and I'd really like to use that if possible.

[gerlando]

Yes, I would get one without hesitation; it seems an ideal in-betweener. What stops me is that my primary phono stage is MC only, and I'd really like to use that if possible.

I like very much the openness of Rega MC cartridges (I have Ania and Apheta 1).

Another great cartridge is the Hana (I have the EH, but the EL should be great too, even better the SL), less open but having a great treble refinement.

[Elephantears]

Another great cartridge is the Hana (I have the EH, but the EL should be great too, even better the SL), less open but having a great treble refinement.

A Hana would do nicely thanks. Waiting for offers!

[WESTLOWER]

Hi Andrew
I potentially have a cracking SAEC C3 MC
heres what montesquieu wrote about it when he got it..
I purchased it from him a while after.
It's was on rotation and now in my cartridge box ...

..."SAEC C3 - has almost zero online profile, but it's a super little performer. Compliance of 9. A bit less full bodied than the SPUs and Miyajima but it makes up for things with a lovely neutral presentation and nice articulation not least in the lower registers. Detail is all there but presented organically, 3D presentation is good with vocals and solos presented nicely in space. Timbre is accurate and frequency range is all there with no notable treble uplift. Punchy too where the music demands.

I'd put this on a par with mid to high end Ortofon and Shelter MCs - this would slot in nicely around upper Kontrapunkt/Cadenza sort of area. In terms of character it most reminded me of an Ortofon Jubilee (that's strong praise BTW as I think that's a great cartridge when properly matched and set up).

A healthy 0.5mV output, beryllium cantilever, line contact stylus...."
heres a stock image

https://i.imgur.com/Gi8U5Ss.jpg